GOP Rep. Walsh Retires, Leaves Open Battleground New York District

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GOP Rep. Walsh Retires, Leaves Open Battleground New York District
By Marie Horrigan and Michael Teitelbaum, CQ Staff


Republican Rep. James T. Walsh , the 10-term House incumbent from New York’s politically competitive 25th Congressional District, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of his current term.

Walsh’s decision not to seek re-election will heighten the Democrats’ efforts to take over the seat in New York’s 25th District, where in 2006 Walsh narrowly survived his most serious House challenge ever.

With 2006 Democratic nominee Dan Maffei, a former congressional aide, back for another try this year, Walsh’s retirement decision has prompted CQ Politics to change its rating on the race to No Clear Favorite from Leans Republican — pending developments in the Republican field of candidates to succeed Walsh.

Voters in the 25th District narrowly favored Democrat John Kerry over President George W. Bush . That makes it one of only eight House districts nationally that are represented by Republicans but gave Kerry more votes for president than Bush.

The retirement also increases the lopsided disadvantage in “open” seats that has made it more difficult for the Republicans to seriously compete to regain the control of the U.S. House that they lost to the Democrats in the 2006 midterm elections. The GOP will now have 20 open House seats for the general election to just five for the Democrats (figures that don’t include the five currently vacant or soon-to-be-vacated House seats, four held by Republicans and one by Democrats, which will be filled in special elections before the fall campaigns).

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